I Dream Of Pizza » Dom DeMarcohttp://idreamofpizza.com
A Pizza Blog, Established In 2008Tue, 28 Jul 2015 20:12:47 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1Avoid Taste Of Tagliare At LaGuardia Airport (DiFara’s Long Lost Cousin?)http://idreamofpizza.com/2011/01/avoid-taste-of-tagliare-at-laguardia.html
http://idreamofpizza.com/2011/01/avoid-taste-of-tagliare-at-laguardia.html#commentsFri, 21 Jan 2011 14:07:00 +0000I Dream Of Pizzahttp://idreamofpizza.com/?p=230I recently took a Delta flight out of LaGuardia airport and lucky (or perhaps unlucky) for me that happens to be where Taste of Tagliare is located. The spot is part of a new food court that opened in the terminal alongside Custom Burger’s by Pat La Frieda among other more upscale bets than your traditional airport fare.

But what is so exciting about Taste of Tagliare was that it was opened by Dom DeMarco’s son: Dom DeMarco Jr. The elder Dom’s pies are heavenly… and the pizza at Di Fara is perhaps the most delicious food I’ve ever consumed. It wasn’t that I had the same expectations for pizza that I was about to eat at an airport… but I was more curious than anything else.

I spotting Taste of Tagliare immediately after going through security. It was 10AM and I was a little worried that they wouldn’t be serving pizza yet. But pies were coming out of the oven in all shapes and sizes (okay, well circles and rectangles at least). But before I was even given my slice, I had a rather interesting experience.

As you’ll notice above, the place wasn’t exactly hopping at 10AM. So I approached the counter, checked out the pies, and told the woman behind the counter that I wanted a regular slice of pizza. I figured that while my slice was being reheated I’d snap some photos, which I preceded to do. After a minute or so of watching me take photos, the lady behind the counter told me that photos were prohibited. “Of the pizza and oven?” I asked. “Security reasons. Speak with security if you have an issue,” she replied. I was a little confused, but put my camera away. I stood, alone, for five minutes while I waited for my slice to come out at which point the lady behind the counter said, “Can I help you with anything?” I told her I was just waiting for my slice, which confused her even more. “What slice?” she asked. I told her I’d ordered a slice of cheese pizza about five minutes ago. She mumbled to herself and stuck a slice back in the oven. Overall, it was just an odd experience.

I was excited, however, because the pies that were sitting out resembled those at Di Fara… aesthetically at least. But when my slice came out of the oven and I dug into it, my heart sank. It wasn’t that the pizza didn’t taste like Di Fara. It’s tasted disgusting. It’s not really worth breaking down why it tasted so bad, but it started with the cardboard-like crust. No flavor whatsoever. With tax, the slice came out to $5.44 making it more expensive than Di Fara (which is generally considered to be the most expensive slice in the city). My understanding is that there was previously a Sbarro’s in the food court. Please… come back!

The place offers a number of other items — at least around breakfast time — including bagels and pastries. I didn’t try any, but I can at least hope that some of that fare was better than the pizza.

I went to Taste of Tagliare with the intention of comparing it with other airport pizza and not a place like Di Fara. Unfortunately, it was even bad for airport pizza. Next time I take a Delta flight out of Laguardia… it’s Custom Burger’s by Pat La Frieda for me!

]]>http://idreamofpizza.com/2011/01/avoid-taste-of-tagliare-at-laguardia.html/feed8Di Fara: The Documentaryhttp://idreamofpizza.com/2010/10/di-fara-documentary.html
http://idreamofpizza.com/2010/10/di-fara-documentary.html#commentsFri, 22 Oct 2010 17:11:00 +0000I Dream Of Pizzahttp://idreamofpizza.com/?p=272More than a year ago, I was approached by a graduate film student from the New School. She was new to New York City and was looking to work on a project about pizza. During a few late night brainstorming sessions, I frequently pushed the idea of putting together a documentary about Di Fara — my favorite pizza place. Truth be told, this was due to selfish reasons. As far as I know, Dom DeMarco has never sat down for an extensive interview on camera. No filmmaker has ever attempted to capture all of the mystique and mystery that surrounds the place. There have been some great fluff pieces about where to get great pizza in New York, but what about a behind the scenes look at Dom’s life? Now that’s something I would want to see!

Six months later — and I’m imagine dozens of sleepless nights in the editing room — amateur filmmaker Margaret Emily Mackenzie released The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done — a 17 minute documentary short about Dom DeMarco and the history of Di Fara. What you’ll find in the film below is exclusive access and a behind the scenes look at this legendary pizza place. I’ve been sitting on the footage since earlier this year, but I’ve just gotten the okay to publish it. So it is with great excitement that I present it to you.

Dim the lights, grab some food (if you watch it on an empty stomach, I guarantee you’ll get hungry), and enjoy! Oh, and keep your eye out for a little cameo

]]>http://idreamofpizza.com/2010/10/di-fara-documentary.html/feed8Di Fara – Simply The Best Thing There Is To Eat In NYChttp://idreamofpizza.com/2009/09/di-fara-simply-best-thing-there-is-to.html
http://idreamofpizza.com/2009/09/di-fara-simply-best-thing-there-is-to.html#commentsThu, 03 Sep 2009 15:55:00 +0000I Dream Of Pizzahttp://idreamofpizza.com/?p=540Anyone who has ever visited this site is probably aware of how I feel about Di Fara in Midwood, Brooklyn. Although words can’t do the experience justice, here are a couple that come to mind when I think about the pizza I’ve eaten there: epic, magical, legendary, orgasmic, life-changing. It’s that great. Dom DeMarco’s pies are the best thing I’ve ever eaten. And the food is only the beginning. Watching him make pie after pie is like watching an artist create his masterpiece. Every piece of dough is a blank canvas. What happens next is heavenly. The sauce. The cheeses. The oil. The basil. The toppings. That brick oven.

Although I mention Di Fara in write-ups almost every week, I have never written a proper review of the place. There is only so much I can write. In fact, my review should really only be two words: Go there! I talk about pizza with a lot of people. Everyone has their thoughts on where the best New York pizza comes from, but I don’t think that anyone who hasn’t been to Di Fara should be able to engage in a legitimate discussion about New York City pizza. Sure Grimaldi’s is good. And I basically live at Artichoke. But no other New York pizza place comes even close to my experiences at Di Fara.

Dom DeMarco has been running the place for 45 years and over the past decade he has become renowned around the world for the pizzas he makes. A pie will run you about $30, which I honestly consider a bargain given the quality and personal attention that each pie receives. DeMarco rolls the dough for every pizza and puts each ingredient on himself. Every pizza is treated equally. He never rushes and those in line are always surprisingly patient. Don’t disturb the artist while he is at work. The place itself is no-frills – a couple of mismatched table and chairs, as well as a few refrigerators with drinks. There is nothing fancy about it. You’d imagine the place looked the same in the 1960s.

This week, I made my 5th trip to Di Fara. Each voyage out there has held a special place in my heart. I went on this particular trip with my friend Charles, who has lived in New York City for 27 years but had never been to Di Fara. We often talk about pizza, but it was time he gave Di Fara a try. We got half a plain pie and half a pie with Porcini mushrooms, peppers, and artichokes. Anyone trying Di Fara for the first time should make sure to try at least one plain slice. Each ingredient truly stands out. But the toppings are incredible as well. Just as fresh and tasty as every other part of the pie and the combination that we came up with hit the spot.

As my friend pointed out, the imperfection of the pizza is what makes it perfect. It’s not completely round. Some parts of the crust are slightly more burnt than others. Some bites are saucier, some cheesier. But that’s part of the experience. As no further commentary can do Di Fara justice, I will now direct you to the photos and videos below which I hope will inspire you to go there yourself. Right away!